The Office for Students (OfS) is awarding £432 million in capital
funding to support investment in new buildings, facilities and
equipment for universities and colleges across
England.
The funding, allocated for the financial years from 2022-23 to
2024-25, consists of £399 million awarded through a bidding
exercise and an allocation of £11 million each year to be
distributed on the basis of a formula.
The OfS has also awarded £57 million to world-leading specialist
higher education providers in England.
Successful capital bids demonstrated value for money, effective
project management and environmental sustainability. Bids also
demonstrated how they met one or more priority categories. These
were:
· Category one:
High-cost subjects of strategic importance. These subjects
include laboratory-based subjects in science, technology and
engineering, and healthcare disciplines in medicine, dentistry,
nursing, midwifery and allied health professions, veterinary
science and archaeology
· Category two:
Enhancement of graduate employability and skills needs of
employers and industry and therefore local and regional
economies, in particular in supporting technical provision at
Levels 4 and 5
· Category three:
Part-time and other forms of flexible provision to include the
development of higher education short course study.
Funding through the competitive bidding process has been provided
to 100 universities, colleges and other higher education
providers. Of these, 47 were awarded the maximum amount of £5.8
million per provider. The OfS received 203 bids requesting a
total of £830 million.
The OfS has also awarded £57 million to world-leading higher
education providers, that specialise in areas including clinical
subjects, agriculture, business, and creative and performing
arts. These universities and colleges were considered by an
independent panel comprised of experts from various
fields.
Susan Lapworth, chief executive of the OfS, said:
‘Investing in modern buildings and innovative equipment will help
universities and colleges in England prepare students for their
future careers. Modern laboratories and state of the art
technology mean students learn with the best facilities. Our
investment will also increase the provision of short courses that
offer flexibility to boost the skills of the workforce.
‘Competition for funding was strong, with high quality
applications from across the sector. The OfS-funded capital
projects will ensure current and future students have a positive
experience while studying expensive-to-deliver subjects that are
strategically important to society. Taxpayers will feel these
benefits too, as our investment will boost local and regional
economies and support environmental sustainability.’
ENDS
For further information contact 0117 905 7676 or press@officeforstudents.org.uk.
Notes
1.
The Office for Students is the independent regulator for higher
education in England. Our aim is to ensure that every student,
whatever their background, has a fulfilling experience of higher
education that enriches their lives and careers.
2.
For the 2022-23 academic year, the OfS is distributing £1,347
million of recurrent grant funding,
which will be allocated to 342 higher education providers to
support their teaching activities. Read more about the recurrent funding.
3.
The £432 million capital funding announced today comprises £399
million awarded across the three financial years 2022-23 to
2024-25 through a bidding competition, plus an annual formula
allocation of £11 million over the same period. The formula
allocations for 2022-23 have been published, and those for the
following two years will be determined later. See the
distribution of capital funding for financial years
2022-23 to 2024-25.
4.
See the world-leading specialist provider funding allocations.
5.
Read more about capital funding.
6.
Read more about the specialist provider
panel.
